Poison Gas In April 1915, the German first used poison gas near Ypres. The side effects include: vomitting, blindness, and suffocation. This gave the German and advantage over their enemies. As sick and wrong as it is, it worked. Poison gas was probably the most feared of all weapons in World War I. Poison gas was indiscriminate and could be used on the trenches even when no attack was going on. Whereas the machine gun killed more soldiers overall during the war, death was frequently instant or not drawn out and soldiers could find some shelter in bomb/shell craters from gunfire. A poison gas attack meant soldiers having to put on crude gas masks and if these were unsuccessful, an attack could leave a victim in agony for days and weeks before he finally succumbed to his injuries. After a while other countries started using it doing war. To protect soldiers gas masks were developed.
In April 1915, the German first used poison gas near Ypres. The side effects include: vomitting, blindness, and suffocation. This gave the German and advantage over their enemies. As sick and wrong as it is, it worked. Poison gas was probably the most feared of all weapons in World War I. Poison gas was indiscriminate and could be used on the trenches even when no attack was going on. Whereas the machine gun killed more soldiers overall during the war, death was frequently instant or not drawn out and soldiers could find some shelter in bomb/shell craters from gunfire. A poison gas attack meant soldiers having to put on crude gas masks and if these were unsuccessful, an attack could leave a victim in agony for days and weeks before he finally succumbed to his injuries. After a while other countries started using it doing war. To protect soldiers gas masks were developed.